Petrarch's Ascent of Mount Ventoux

Petrarch 's journey to the peak of Mount Ventoux was one that sparked a multitude of questions of his inner self. It was due to Petrarch 's laziness, that he found himself making the mistake of taking the unworthy, longer, easier path, again and again. This path would eventually deter him from his final destination, and he would later have to take the steeper, more direct path in addition to the first path. Through this trial and error, Petrarch was able to contemplate and extend his thought processes to a more spiritual level. He was able to see that the hardships of the world are much like those of the soul, and the only way to accomplish these feats, is to take the straighter path. Although this path is likely more difficult, it is also more rewarding in the end, and by avoiding this path, it is “but they themselves they abandon” (Petrarch 3). In this way, Petrarch 's work exemplifies the want of the people during the renaissance to observe nature in order to question ones existence in the world and to better obtain a perspective of oneself as being a part of higher, fated life plan.
Dreux Budé Master creates a very somber setting in his painting of The Crucifixion (1490). His painting is played in a three-dimensional perspective, with obvious emphasis directed toward the crucifixion of Christ. Christ himself is the epitome of the humanist form, his sacrifice for the people before him. His earthly inhabitance paving the way for all other humans alike, allowing them to dwell and prosper in the nature that the earth had given them. The expressions of those who surround Christ are very stoic, the natural lighting is minimal which allows the painting to further take on a very somber mood. The landscape aids in drawing attention to the focal point of the crucifixion, the winding of the hills that the city-people must surpass illustrates that, “no man 's wit can alter the nature of things, and there is no way to reach the heights by going downward” (2). This idea

Cited: Collection, Getty Museum. 14 March 2012. <http://www.getty.edu/art/>. Petrarch, Francesco. “The Ascent of Mount Ventoux.” University of King’s College Halifax. 24 August 2006. <http://www.ukings.ca/kings_3578.html>.